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The Town of Georgina 2013-2017 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan

Learn More About Accessibility

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) is a provincial legislation to ensure that all
Ontarians with disabilities have full and equal access to goods, services, facilities, accommodations, employment,
building structures and premises by January 1, 2025.

Under the AODA, the government will develop and implement standards that will identify, remove and prevent barriers
for people with disabilities. The legislation will require both public and private sectors to adhere to Accessibility
Standards in five (5) important areas of our lives;

Customer Service

Information and Communication

Transportation

Employment

Built Environment

All policies, procedures and practices developed from the standard must be consistent with the AODA's principles:

Dignity

Equal Opportunity

Independence

Integration

Currently, the Customer Service Standard is the only AODA standard to become law.

Accessibility Standards for Customer Service

The Town of Georgina shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies. procedures and practices as amended from
time to time are consistent with the following principles:

The goods or services will be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.

The provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities and others must be integrated unless an alternate measure is necessary, whether temporarily or on a permanent basis, to enable a person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the goods or services.

Persons with disabilities must be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from the goods or services.

Assistive Devices

The Town of Georgina permits persons with disabilities to use and keep with them their own personal assistive devices to obtain, use
or benefit from the goods or services offered by the Town of Georgina.

Accessibility Standard for Customer Service Policy

The policy includes information on the following:

Providing goods and services to people with disabilities

Communication

Use of service animals, support persons and assistive devices

Notice of service disruption

Staff training on accessible customer service

Feedback process

Notice of availability of documents

Format of documents

link to Accessibility Standard for Customer Service Policy

Accessibly Customer Service Training

Town of Georgina employees, contractors, vendors and volunteers are required to complete training which includes:
The purpose of the Act;

How to interact with people with various disabilities

How to interact with people who may use an assistive device or the assistance of a support person, guide dog or other
service animal to access goods and/or services at the Town

How to use assistive devices available on the premises

What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing services

Details of the Town of Georgina?s accessibility policy, procedures and practices

Training required for the Town of Georgina?s suppliers of goods and services:
The legislation states that contractors, vendors and individuals that the Town of Georgina has contracted to provide goods or
services must ensure that their employees are trained on providing accessible customer service. Training can be as simple as
reading through the "Accessible Customer Service Training Booklet".

Notice of Service Disruption

Notice of Service Disruption shall be provided when facilities or services that people with disabilities usually use to access
Town of Georgina goods or services are temporarily unavailable or if the goods or services are expected in the near future to
be temporarily unavailable, in whole or in part.
Notice may be given by posting information in a conspicuous place on the premises, on the Town?s website or any other such method
as is reasonable in the circumstances.

Feedback

The Town of Georgina welcomes comments on the provision of goods or services to persons with disabilities.
It helps identify areas where changes need to be considered and ways in which we can improve the delivery of accessible goods and
services. Feedback can be provided online, by telephone, e-mail, in person or in writing.